I need to run a scheduled, automated, test of the speed of a DSL connection at a remote location. I'm fine with the scheduling and automation part. I've tried timing a file download from my own (cheap hosting) webserver but it doesn't have enough bandwidth to give results comparable with sites such as speedtest.net so I'm looking for other suggestions. The result needs to be able to be logged in a file.

I need to run a scheduled, automated, test of the speed of a DSL connection at a remote location. I'm fine with the scheduling and automation part. I've tried timing a file download from my own (cheap hosting) webserver but it doesn't have enough bandwidth to give results comparable with sites such as speedtest.net so I'm looking for other suggestions. The result needs to be able to be logged in a file.

Why don't you create a larger file and use Robocopy to copy it both ways? Robocopy is free with Windows and has a nice summary of performance.
You can use FSUTIL to create the file - again, free with Windows.Usage : fsutil file createnew <filename> <length>
Eg : fsutil file createnew C:\testfile.txt 1000

Why don't you create a larger file and use Robocopy to copy it both ways? Robocopy is free with Windows and has a nice summary of performance.
You can use FSUTIL to create the file - again, free with Windows.Usage : fsutil file createnew <filename> <length>
Eg : fsutil file createnew C:\testfile.txt 1000

cheers, Paul

Thanks for those suggestions. I don't have a problem creating that same functionality, and that's essentially what I tested, what I'm missing is access to a big file on a fast server that will fully exercise the DSL connection (and whose owner won't mind or notice me hitting it regularly). AFAIK the direct url for the files downloaded by e.g. speedtest are not publicly available. The object of the exercise is to generate evidence so that I can get AT&T to fix the problems with the line.

Proving a line is flaky is difficult because you need stable goal posts for the test. You could try hitting one of the ISPs servers, as the only link is internal to the ISP and that won't add to their internet traffic. It also removes congested internet connections from the measure.
You could try a basic ping test using FREEping to hit the ISPs router.

For lack of any more elegant solution for 3 days now I've been running an hourly automated test using one of the well known speed test webpages, with a capture and save of the result. Ping time doesn't correspond very well to connection speed. So far the results confirm what I suspected, despite losing a major lawsuit some months ago, and promising not to do it anymore, it appears AT&T is selling DSL bandwidth they can't support except during the off hours when they have low system utilization

The Following User Says Thank You to mattpenner For This Useful Post:

you can check your speed anywhere. there is no such thing as accurate result. no sites can predict the accurate result. i got 2Mbps pack only. its a good speed actually. here's my speed test result. downloads: 1.09Mbps uploads:0.87Mbps my testing place is